


Derek Hale's Recovery Handbook

by mak (cold_blue_eyes)



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Future Fic, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 04:38:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15429207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cold_blue_eyes/pseuds/mak
Summary: Stiles comes back to town after years away.Derek has been building a life for himself in Beacon Hills already.The two meet again.





	Derek Hale's Recovery Handbook

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be just a crack-y, funny little thing, but some feels happened and here we are. Thanks to [StaciNadia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StaciNadia/pseuds/StaciNadia) for the art, we had a good time talking headcanons and stuff. I'm glad I got the chance to write something different for the RB.
> 
> You should check out the art that inspired this fic in [HERE](http://stacinadia.tumblr.com/post/176308242973/my-entry-for-the-sterekreversebang-the-first) and [HERE](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15443235).

When Derek moved back to Beacon Hills all he wanted was to settle down, build a life again and try to become a part of the community, although living in the woods made it hard for him to really be a part of said community.

He tried to create a routine that wouldn’t let him stay hidden in the forest every day, so he went to the farmer’s market each Saturday and volunteered at the Beacon Hills Fire Brigade, not to talk about starting his own business venture, a woodwork shop. In three months it already gathered a list of clients, so Derek felt like things were turning just fine.

In his travels, Derek picked up different things here and there. He knew he couldn’t live off of the insurance money or turn into an animal to roam the woods, although Peter suggested him do that. Instead, he knew he had to try his way onto different things, learn something new, the reason which he decided to establish a brand.

At the start, he reached out to Scott and the members of the pack to know if there was still a place for him in Beacon Hills, and they welcomed him with open arms to his surprise. Though, as much as they offered a place for him in their midst, Derek didn’t really feel like he belonged with them.

The Hale blood was strong and being a part of that pack had been his entire life. It was the reason why Derek couldn’t just plead allegiance to anyone else.

However, he did ask their help to get around to building another house in the woods and spread the word about his business, and they happily complied. In some ways, he was part of the pack, even if peripherally, though Derek thought of himself more as an omega.

All in all, his life was quiet and simple. He spent a good part of his days in the woods working by himself, and when he needed to have some human contact he went into town - but he didn’t need it that much

Derek didn’t believe he’d be alone forever, neither he wanted to, but he was at a time in his life where he’d rather live life his own way than go through the ordeal of bringing someone into it who would disrupt the balanced atmosphere he took so long to create.

There was only someone he’d let do it, as Derek was used to his antics. It was what happened at each step of the way, to be honest. From the moment he found out he lost Laura to when he got his Alpha powers, and then discovered that Cora was alive, there was always a constant between each of these moments in time.

Thankfully that common factor wasn’t a crazy, stupid kid anymore, although Derek wouldn’t know for sure, seeing that he didn’t really interact with Stiles much in recent years.

But now they were going to see each other again, that was for sure.

Derek first heard news of that at the farmer’s market, when Helen from ‘Helen’s Honeybees’ told him about seeing the Sheriff with a big smile on his face as he walked down the street the other day. Then there was Janine from the Public Library gushing about how the Sheriff looked so much better when he talked of the return of the prodigal son - and then Derek had to wonder if the Sheriff was aware that a part of the town’s population was interested in him, because Derek could smell it in the air.

He wouldn’t ever say that to the man, of course. Derek and the Sheriff did talk every now and then, but after everything that happened the both of them seemed to want some distance from the past, which meant they weren’t exactly buddies.

Still, the news of Stiles’ return reached him either way.

A part of Derek knew that nothing was going to change. There was a past between him and Stiles, they spent long nights together doing research, and sometimes Derek knew that Stiles glanced at him in a different way. There was a current of _something_ in the air that Derek never responded to, neither he knew how, but it was still there.

But then, it wasn’t just that. The two of them had risked their lives for each other, and when people go through that together there’s a kind of bond that forms and never really goes away. It’s hard to let go of it, to get past it. Derek never wanted to, he had to admit.

After Stiles became a kind of fixture in his life it was impossible to forget him. When Derek was away and lost he used to search for some memories of him and Stiles together because they were enough to bring a smile to his face. There was nothing bad about that past.

But Derek’s memories weren’t only about that long gone past.

The last time Derek saw Stiles he was impressed by how much time can affect people. Stiles had become a man. He went from teenage hormones messing with his scent to smelling like someone that could do _things_ to Derek.  There was a kind of grey area where Derek oftentimes didn’t want his thoughts to go, but after his sexual reawakening Derek liberated himself from the shame of desire, and a part of him felt that for Stiles of all people.

It wasn’t hard to understand why. And it made sense.

The two of them went through difficult times together, and though they butted heads a lot, at the end of the day when push came to shove they were side to side, ready to give one’s life for the other. Derek let himself feel things he’d tried to suppress when around Stiles. After Laura’s death, Stiles was the one that made him smile, and made him furious. Stiles was the one that made Derek roll his eyes, and was the one that pushed Derek to face his fears.

Stiles was the one that prompted Derek to flirt, and even feel things like elation and happiness.

Derek had to admit it was a lot of stuff riding on the company of someone else. But what he and Stiles had was different, and special.

-

The day Stiles came back to town Derek found out through a conversation he heard on Main Street. He was delivering a pair of wood shelves to the bookstore downtown when two ladies were talking about the Sheriff’s son getting a welcoming party at the station.

Derek didn’t get an invite, but he didn’t know if he was going to get one anyway, after all, it was his own choice to distance himself from the pack.

If it wasn’t that day, Derek knew sooner or later they’d bump into each other - and it ended up being sooner than Derek expected.

On Fridays, Derek usually left the workshop around four in the afternoon, and that week was no different. He thought it was a blessing to be able to stop working whenever he wanted to, though Derek did open the workshop early each morning, so it wasn’t like he was lazing around.

While he walked the distance between the shop and his house that day Derek was already making dinner plans. Since it had been rainy and cool all afternoon, as summer had already said its goodbye, Derek took a shower and put on comfortable clothes before he moved to the kitchen.

He looked out the window to see a patch of clouds opening in the sky for the sunset to color the wet forest. Derek enjoyed the sound of water dripping from the high branches and hitting the underbrush, and since he was alone at the house there was nothing to interfere.

Derek decided on _arroz con pollo_ for the meal, something he learned during his time in South America when he visited Cora. He had enough ingredients for a batch big enough to last a few days, so Derek could reheat whenever he wasn’t in the mood to cook.

The first part was just finely chopping carrots and onions. As he started Derek concentrated on quick sounds of the knife hitting the board, but soon enough his hearing picked the noise of a car that made the bend on the road, all the way back in the junction leading to the woods. At first, Derek couldn’t say exactly what kind of car it was, but a few minutes later Derek recognized it, and his heartbeat sped up a little.

The Jeep was still alive and kicking, it seemed.

He shook his head once to pay attention to the vegetables he was chopping, but awareness crept up on him and it was impossible not to use his senses to make sure it was really Stiles. For a moment Derek stopped moving altogether to listen better, but he needn’t have to. Stiles’ Jeep was impossible to mistake.

As he went back to preparing the food Derek heard the car slowly coming through the woods and then rounding the front of the house, going towards the back, closer to the big porch that covered the side.  

Derek didn’t know if he should go to Stiles or stay where he was, by then there was a pan already on the stove and it was stupid to suddenly feel nervous, so he stayed put.

He heard the car stopping. A door opened and closed a bit too forcefully, right before Derek heard a curse.

It was definitely Stiles.

Derek heard steps going up the porch, but instead of coming through the front door Stiles walked around to the back of the house. He quickly made his way to the back door and then stopped.

It was easy to listen to his heart, a quick and uneven beat, just like it had been all those years ago. For Derek, it was still hard to gauge where Stiles’ emotions were at any given moment.

“Come in,” said Derek loud enough to be heard, a millisecond before Stiles knocked on the door.

Stiles laughed awkwardly, turning the doorknob.

Derek looked back to peer at Stiles as his hands worked. As soon as their eyes met something in Stiles seemed to come alive, almost like he was surprised to see Derek there. In the second their gazes connected Derek’s heart started again.

He quickly glanced at the board for a moment, but then heard a shoe sliding on the wet stones. As he turned around again Derek saw Stiles losing his ground and falling over the garbage bags right beside the door.

“Fuck!” Stiles admonished.

Derek got startled enough to nick his finger with the knife, but he put it down to go to Stiles, whose head popped up from amid the bags to look at Derek in confusion.

His eyes were full of disbelief, but the moment was so ridiculous Derek couldn’t help but snort as he offered a hand to Stiles.

“That’s what you call a welcoming party,” Stiles grumbled as he got up.

There was trash strewn around Stiles on the ground and he smelled of rotten eggs, which Derek put out just that morning.

“You certainly know how to make an entrance,” commented Derek as Stiles looked at himself.

Derek involuntarily turned his nose.

“You think FBI training is going to get you in top shape, and then you can’t even control your fucking feet.” Stiles rolled his eyes at himself.

There was this strange feeling in Derek’s chest that seemed like fondness, but he didn’t know exactly if it was that. However, it soon mixed with something warmer when Derek eyed Stiles’ neck, then his chin and the light dusting of hair in it, before going up to his eyes, who stared at Derek.

Stiles glanced down.

“Hey, what happened?” Asked Stiles, taking Derek’s hand for an inspection. That touch caused Derek’s blood to run just a bit faster.

“Just a cut. It healed already,” Derek assured him, only now taking stock of the situation.

“You sure?”

Derek nodded. But when Stiles didn’t release his hand, they kept holding onto each other like that was something normal.

With a smile Stiles let Derek go.

“I guess this didn’t go exactly like it was supposed to.”

“How do you wanted it to go?” Derek asked.

Stiles raised his shoulders. “I don’t know. Maybe some background music, slow-motion running and ‘the embrace’?” He made quotes with his fingers.

“We could do the last one, but you smell a bit,” pointed out Derek.

Stiles batted a hand at him but made no move to get closer.

“If you want to clean yourself up, my room is upstairs to the right. Grab anything you want from there. We can sit and eat later. And talk.”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Stiles. He adjusted his stance in a way that seemed nervous, and Derek indeed picked up some of that in the air.

Derek closed the door when Stiles got inside, then pointed to the stairs as Stiles walked further into the house. Stiles’ scent spread around him, and Derek couldn’t help but try to follow it with his nose. It brought memories of those days they spent together, either battling side by side or just annoying the hell out of each other. It was the same scent, only more mature and strong, but still with an edge of sweetness that was Stiles’ only.

When Stiles went up to the second floor Derek tried not to think about him in any sense he hadn’t before, but it was hard now that his body reacted in a different way to Stiles. If before Stiles was barely a kid hanging onto whatever Derek said, now he was different. Derek saw the way Stiles had filled out more, his hair was a still short but now there was a shadow to his face that wasn’t dark enough to be called a beard, but it looked as messy as it was charming.

He was still a boy in the body of a man, but Derek never knew the exact time he went from one to the other.

The food turned out to be somewhat of a distraction. Also, Derek had to clean up the trash that spilled out the bags when Stiles fell on them. The work tied Derek over until Stiles came down sometime later.

By then Derek was setting the table.

“It smells good in here,” said Stiles as he entered the kitchen.

Derek looked at him as his eyebrows climbed up his forehead. Stiles had a grin on his lips.

“You couldn’t try something else on?” Derek asked, but his words were playful.

Stiles was wearing a blue and orange shirt, the one Derek grabbed from him all these years ago.

“I can’t say it doesn’t fit me.” Stiles tried to puff up his chest.

Derek’s eyes roamed over Stiles on their own accord, but it didn’t feel dangerous or forbidden. In fact, there was an ease to Stiles’ presence around Derek that seemed like just falling into the old patterns, like they didn’t spend time apart.

“Is it ready?” Stiles asked, clapping his hands.

“Almost. You can grab us some beers from the fridge and sit down.”

Stiles did just that. With no ceremony, they found a place at the table. Derek brought the food and served Stiles before doing the same for himself.

“This looks good,” Stiles said as he started to eat. “Didn’t know you cooked stuff like this, though.”

“I didn’t. But you have to learn some things when you live by yourself.”

“I guess it’s this or raw rabbit, right?” Stiles pointed at the plate but looked at Derek with mirth in his eyes.

Derek just rolled his own as he reached for the beer bottle.

“I don’t hunt animals in the woods to eat.”

“Well, that’s a surprise,” said Stiles with his mouth full.

“Really?”

Stiles lifted one shoulder. “You always looked like you’d do something like that. I have to say sometimes I was afraid of walking into the woods and seeing you with a deer carcass and blood dripping all over.”

It was hard to really imagine the picture Stiles painted, but with a huff of laughter, Derek shook his head. He never really ate raw food, but that didn’t mean Derek didn’t learn how to hunt down prey.

“Anyway, it’s good to see that you’re settling in here. I thought you wouldn’t come back.” Stiles didn’t look directly at Derek as he said all of that, and it was possible to sense some hesitation in changing the subject.

“I took my time to make the decision,” Derek told him. Stiles lifted his eyes then. “Also, it’s not like I had somewhere else to go. A wolf always has to come back home.”

Derek smiled to himself. His father was the one who told him that once, and Derek thought it was all about family and pack back then, but the meaning of it changed as the time passed. At first, Derek couldn’t fathom the idea of coming back to this place that once had been so happy, and then it wasn’t anymore. But he went away and leaving behind such a big part of his story felt disrespectful to the pack his family built once.

At times Derek felt like he didn’t know where to go because Beacon Hills was the only home he’d ever had, and then that had been taken away from him. He tried to find someplace else to put down roots, but all his ties to them were shallow. And to build a home one needs strong, deep foundations.

Beacon Hills still had bits and pieces of him. And perhaps it always would be like that.

“It’s good that you managed to get over the past, somehow.” Stiles made that comment with a quietness to his voice, almost like he wanted to keep that a secret, but there was only the two of them there.

“Yeah.”

“I still don’t know exactly if I want to stay here, you know?” Revealed Stiles, and it seemed like the truth had caught him off guard too. Stiles shook his head.

“Why’s that?”

Stiles shrugged. “It wasn’t the same thing being all the way over there, you know?” Stiles made a vague notion towards the woods, but Derek knew he was pointing to the East Coast, where he lived in the last few years. “Living all by myself also wasn’t all that I thought it would be.”

At that Stiles grinned ruefully.

“You thought it was going to be wild parties all day without the Sheriff in the next room over?” Derek asked.

“Kind of?” Stiles laughed, but there was something grave in his eyes. “Not really, but I thought I was free of everything that tied me to this place. I thought I had a whole world to brave and try to be a different person, at least somewhat different than who I was here.”

Derek saw Stiles shaking his head minutely. More than anyone, Derek knew how hard it was to run away from the things that make you, the good and the bad. They always find a way to come back whether you want it or not. It seemed like Stiles didn’t want to dwell on that by the way he ate the food now without saying a thing.

“And what does your dad think about you coming back?” Derek asked, trying to go back to a safer topic.

That brought some light to Stiles’ eyes.

“He loves it, of course. Been telling me that he was fine all by himself, but I know better. At least he took care of his health while I was away because if I got wind of him slacking off I’d come back in the blink of an eye.”

“I think the Sheriff can take care of himself,” commented Derek.

“I know he can.” Stiles parked his hands on top of the table. “But I worry anyway. He’s the only family I have.” At that Stiles tilted his head to the side. “Though, I know there’s also Scott and Lydia, the rest of the pack. Melissa, Chris and the people that I know around town. Even you, Derek.”

When Stiles said his name Derek heard the uptick in his heartbeat.

“Me?”

Stiles nodded. “You all are important to me. But my Dad is...” Stiles didn’t finish, but Derek caught the meaning anyway.

Stiles saw in his eyes how he knew.

“I want to see what’s in here for me. Dad talked to me about joining the force, which is probably the most obvious choice for me. And I want to see about that, but I’m not sure. It feels like I’ve been on a constant need to find something to do, and this is the first time when I don’t really have to go anywhere, save anyone.”

“I went on a trip around the world the last time I wanted to do that,” suggested Derek, even though a part of him wouldn’t really want Stiles to go away right then.

He was a bit surprised with the derisive snort Stiles gave him.

“We’re not all rich, Derek. The most I can do is probably drive down to the coast and enjoy some days on the beach.”

“It’s still good enough, isn’t?”

Stiles lifted his shoulders. “Yeah.”

“We can go together if you want. I know of some coves up north that are perfect for camping if you’re into that.”

It slipped right out of Derek’s mouth with such certainty he only felt nervous after the words were out in the air. He barely got Stiles back and he was already making plans, which wasn’t at all what he thought would happen, but Derek was used to rolling with the punches now.

“You for real?” Stiles asked.

“Yes.”

Stiles seemed unsure if he should take Derek up on that or not.

“I’ll think about that. Can you leave your work, though? I heard things are good for you now.”

“Have you been asking around about me?”

“I might have.” Stiles hesitated to admit, but he did.

“Things are going slow, but I have some deliveries to make. And I’ve been seeing about making deals with furniture stores in the county.”

“So, you like doing this?” Stiles asked.

“More than I thought I would,” said Derek. “I just wanted to have something to do, because coming back here just to live in the woods didn't exactly help my image around town.”

Stiles snorted at that.

“I’m sure people will love you in no time.”

“Not like I’m aiming for that, but…” Derek lifted a shoulder, smiling to Stiles.

Stiles smiled back. They didn’t move their gazes for a while just because they couldn’t. Derek wasn’t sure if it was Stiles’ heart that started to run faster or his own.

Dinner was over before they realized. After, Derek offered a tour of the house to Stiles.

The new Hale house wasn’t that big, yet Derek couldn’t help but admit it was almost too much for him. On the first floor, there was a big living room with a wall of bookshelves extending from one side to the other. There was a fireplace in the corner, an office for Derek and the big kitchen with a dining table on the side. On the second floor there were the bedrooms, an en-suite for Derek and two other rooms that shared a bathroom.

Outside there was the workshop behind the garage, which Derek only showed Stiles from the window of his room since it started to drizzle again.

“You made yourself a pretty awesome place here,” commented Stiles at the end of the tour, with the two of them looking out the window into the dark forest.

They were side to side, which only gave Stiles’ scent free rein to cling to Derek’s nostrils.

“It’s good. Things are falling into place.”

Stiles hummed. “I want something like this for myself. I already went through my lone-wolf phase, then went around on my sexual rampage phase. What’s the next step in the Derek Hale’s recovery handbook?”

Stiles partially turned that into a joke, but his words rang quite true to Derek’s ears. It was enough to make him huff out a laugh at least.

“Everyone has their own way of coping with changes. But you can end the journey right here and start the good part of your life,” said Derek.

“And what that entails?” Stiles asked, turning to look at Derek.

Suddenly they were almost too close, and Derek’s eyes searched for something in Stiles’.

“Whatever you want. I’m doing that and it’s turning out just fine.”

“But sometimes what we want might be something a little more complicated.” Stiles’ voice was almost too quiet.

“In what way?”

“I don’t know. Just complicated. I want things I don’t know if I can have.” Stiles stepped close to Derek

It was hard to mistake the intention in Stiles’ face, but still, Derek didn’t want to assume something that could complicate things. He let Stiles decide for himself whether he wanted to go further or not.

“You should try it, anyway.”

Derek was glad Stiles didn’t decide against it.

The first to move was Stiles as he pressed his lips against Derek’s, who reacted quick, opening his mouth to welcome Stiles in. They tasted the same, but also not. Stiles was warm, alive. It felt like a dream to have him so close, but Derek knew he wasn’t sleeping.

They kissed each other like impatient lovers, trying to taste and touch as much as they could. But Derek knew better than to press for more, and somehow Stiles didn’t seem to want to go beyond what they had right then. It was good the way it was.

When they released each other they were both out of breath, and Derek watched as Stiles licked his lips like he wanted to taste what of Derek remained there.

“Is this okay?” Derek asked.

Stiles didn’t say anything at first, but he nodded.

“I think it might be exactly what I wanted.”

Derek felt his cheeks getting warm, and he looked down between them.

He felt a wave of something coming from Stiles, it was a feeling he didn’t know exactly the name of. But it was something good.

He liked it.

-

They didn’t get together right then, of course. But just like Derek took the first step to come back to Beacon Hills and start a new life, that night they took a step towards a path they weren’t sure where it leads to.

It was going to be good, though. Derek was sure of it.

 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Domesticity and a Striped Shirt](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15443235) by [StaciNadia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StaciNadia/pseuds/StaciNadia)




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